The present invention relates generally to the field of carts for transportation of a robotic device and stability of the robotic device when in use.
Medical device carts may be used to transport a robotic device from one location to another. Traditional medical device carts have four wheels, two fixed front wheels and rear swiveling casters, which may provide adequate maneuverability during general transport, however maneuverability in an operating room has different needs. Space in the operating room is limited which makes navigating the cart around the operating room and into the proper position challenging. When pushing from a rear of the cart, controlling the direction of travel is challenging because of the leverage required to direct the front wheels. The cart has to be backed up, pivoted, and moved back in. Sometimes this has to be repeated several times until the position of the cart is correct. Sometimes, this requires handling the cart from a front end which may be in a sterile field of the operating room, which is not ideal. Further, during transport, the cart may encounter various uneven surfaces (e.g., ramps, inclines, etc.) that may increase the loading on an individual wheel of the cart and potentially cause a rocking or fluttering condition.